On Call in Action: Safety at Risk in Barcelona

On Call International helps organizations and their travelers take a proactive and holistic approach to not only managing emergencies when they arise—but also planning for and even preventing them before they happen. Tune in each month to see how On Call International helps with travel problems, big and small, every day:

Safety at Risk in Barcelona

Ted* and Stella* were spending a week in Barcelona. They were walking along a popular boulevard when a van drove into several pedestrians on the street. The couple ran as fast as they could and found shelter at a nearby hotel, thankfully unharmed. However, they were anxious to get out of the country, so Ted reached out to his organization’s travel risk management provider, On Call International, for help.

On Call to the Rescue
On Call’s security team recommended the couple shelter in place until the situation was resolved and the area was declared safe. We also created a communication plan with specific times to check in with the travelers to confirm their safety, provide updated intelligence on the situation, and advise on next steps.

As the day progressed, reports stated the attackers had fled and there was concern another attack could occur. After speaking to our security team again, Ted and Stella decided they wanted to end their trip early and head home as soon as possible. Our security team advised them to continue to shelter in place and to remain on standby as we would let the couple know when it was safe to depart.

Headed Home

After we confirmed it was safe to leave the country, we worked with Ted and Stella to change their flights and assisted with their secure transportation to the airport. After the flight, we made sure they arrived home safe and sound. Although Ted and Stella had to end their trip early, they were thankful to have On Call by their side to assist them during such stressful and uncertain circumstances.

What’s Happening Now

Author: Jacob Newton The establishment and maintenance of an effective Travel Risk Management (TRM) program is a task that requires the attention and involvement of several stakeholders in order to meet the desired outcome: the safety of the travelers it’s intended to protect. Furthermore, it can be tempting to implement a variety of available solutions…

If you are on your trip and have an emergency, please contact our 24/7
Global Response Center at (800) 575-5014 (toll free U.S. or Canada) or
(603) 328-1926 (anywhere in the world). You can also email us for
emergencies at mail@oncallinternational.com